‘How I Met Your Mother’ Will Likely End After Season 8

Ever since CBS renewed its hit comedy How I Met Your Mother for seasons 7 and 8, some fans have supposed that season 8 might mark the conclusion of the series. With that final contracted season about to begin, rumors have been swirling about the show’s fate.

Initially, we’d heard that the network was hopeful that the adventures of Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and friends would go on. Then, word broke that star Jason Segel might be looking to exit the series, potentially spelling its end. Now, it seems that the possibility of season 9 is looking far slimmer.

Courtesy of Access Hollywood, star Neil Patrick Harris – who plays the show’s signature character in “legendary” womanizer Barney Stinson – has said that the HIMYM‘s impending eighth season would likely be its last:

“Our contracts end at [Season] 8, so it’s one of those, you know, if they wanna do 9, they’re welcome to, but we have a lot of other things [going on]. Cobie [Smulders] has got The Avengers that just made a billion dollars, Jason [Segel] makes a ton of movies, I’m anxious to move East and Josh [Radnor] is directing and acting in movies as well. So, we all are anxious to move forward.”

As is par for the course when a successful series nears its end, it seems that another season largely depends on luring the cast back with a hefty paycheck, as Harris himself admits.

“I think the only way I think a season 9 or any longer would happen would be [if it were] financially right – that’s the reality of it. We love the show, we love doing it – eight years is a long time, and we’re as happy a family as we’ve ever been.”

We at Screen Rant had previously speculated that the increasingly busy schedules of the five-person ensemble cast of HIMYM could lead to the show’s end, since all of its cast members have seen their careers sky-rocket since the series premiered in 2005. For instance, Radnor has just directed his second feature Liberal Arts (which he also wrote and stars in), and it’s unclear if Smulders’ involvement in The Avengers franchise would extend to a role in the in-development S.H.I.E.L.D. series.

Co-creator Craig Thomas recently told Zap2it that there’s also no chance that he and co-creator Carter Bays would continue without every member of the main cast. In fact, they’re approaching season 8 as if it is the end of the series. Here’s what Thomas had to say:

“We’re writing this season like it’s the end. We sort of have a Plan A and a Plan B going [should Season 9 happen], but we’re approaching the point where those two things would diverge. It gets more and more difficult as it goes on. Ultimately, it going to be more and more work that we’re going to have to throw out if this isn’t our last season, so we’d like to know as soon as possible. It’s a lot of big machinery we’re moving around.

Still, Thomas maintains that – if the show continues for a ninth year – the writing staff has plenty of ideas left.

If this is the last season of How I Met Your Mother, it’s everything we ever dreamed of and more, and eight seasons is great. That being said, do we have a ninth season is us? Absolutely. We could do a ninth season if it was possible.”

It’s unknown exactly how the show’s storyline would change if it’s renewed for a ninth year. However, word is that season 8 will end with the wedding where Ted will finally meet the “mother” of the show’s title. One popular theory is that subsequent seasons could follow the couple as they begin to date, but some fans feel this would betray the very premise of the show.

Many shows have overextended their welcomes, and fans should hope that the HIMYM goes out on top, before the characters become stale and the writers run out of ideas. Plus, the way the past couple of seasons have progressed, season 8 feels like the right time for the show to come to a bittersweet end.

HIMYM has only really made a handful of major missteps during its run (looking at you, season 5!), but for the most part, Bays and Thomas have done a remarkable job breathing relatable, hilarious life into the trials and tribulations of young adults in their late 20s and early 30s, from searching for love to losing loved ones.

Despite Thomas’s fairly diplomatic response above, it seems that all signs are pointing towards this coming season being the last of HIMYM. Does this seem like the right time for the show to end, Screen Rant readers? What would you like to see happen in the final season? Let us know in the comments.

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Andre Lott 2 years ago

I think that season 8 should be the final season because that is when we know who the mother is.

I agree with you on the ” we know who the mother is ” part . But this show really means something to many out there . Looking over Ted’s adventure and Barney’s crazy antics , Lily and Marshall Romance really lighten my life in my teen years .
With this show ending , TV will suffer a huge loss . Friend is Gone . Two and a Half Men is not the way it is anymore and now another GREAT show gone …..

If the show continue , i;m pretty sure the writers team can come up with plenty of ideas . Hope there will be season 9 ^^

Best show EVERrrrrrr!!!!!! They should do the more seasons , where all there kids go out and stud and slut it out just like there mothers and fathers, and have crazy teenage pimp/slut lives , and where The parents teaches and advise them about there kids erotic teenage life and what they are doing.. Imagine the kids doing what Barney and the gang does with there teenage friends … Long live HIMYM!!!!

I really hope this show goes for even just one more season. This is my favorite TV show, it changed a very big part of my life now that it even has become part of my life. But about the “We’re going to see the mother theory”, well it’s like this. Assuming Ted’s eldest child is 15. So he tells the story in year 2030. 2030-15=2015. This show airs episodes depending on real time date and year. Ever noticed that? Meaning the mother WOULD MOST LIKELY appear on 2015 (if Ted’s eldest kid IS 15). Eventually, Ted would get to that story. But in reference to the fast forwards, (ex. “In the year 2020 when your Aunt Lily and Uncle Marshall…BlahBlahBlah”) this show would most likely continue but given that the actors are on the brink of bailing out. So it depends on very much a handful of realistic decisions that factor out if this show would continue. And I hope it will.

I like the idea put across but there is a couple of flawed remarks in your statement. You are saying that Ted’s daughter is born in 2015 (given that she is 15) and also added that “the mother WOULD MOST LIKELY appear in 2015.” Wishful thinking perhaps.
In most cases, people tend to have kids a few years after marriage, which can impose that this is the final season. The fact is the show is called “How I Met Your Mother”
The moment he even looks at this mistress the producers can sadly end the show, claiming THAT is how they met.
I would love to see this show run until season 10, and i believe the writing staff are creative enough to make my wish a possibility.
One thing I do wonder is how are they going to tie every episode together? Again if he is telling every episode to his kids, it must remain that every episode is important enough to entail when it comes to meeting their mother.

I would love another season. It means a lot to me and I’m sure to many others as well. I absolutely adore this show. I watch it when I’m sad or when i just want a good laugh. It’s just the type of show that really will make you laugh out loud even when seriously down you’re down. I love the characters (esp. barney :D). I don’t mind waiting for the mother. I wanna see more of this show.

The selfish part of me would love to see a 9th season. There doesn’t appear to be a suitable replacement for the show at the moment. Since Friends, Scrubs and now this is ending, it will be hard to find a loveable and relate-able show. However, it is time in my opinion for them to close out the story and end the show without risk of stretching the story beyond it’s means. Yeah sure we will be left wondering what happens in the future but isn’t that how the great comedies end. They leave you wanting more.

What the hell with robin. whose friend is she?
dushe. what a canadian. why every american gonna fuk each other at himym? why every girls are so silly with barney he is a golden boy. nowadays people gonna extramarital. so BAD!

I am kind of on the fence on this one. I want the show to continue, but I also don’t want it to lose its momentum. While the show is called “How I Met Your Mother” and could end with the marriage between Barney and Robin (as it is now indicated that this is exactly when Ted will meet their mother), I think we are all curious to know why it is they meshed. In that right, I believe, we need at least another season to see the relationship between their mother and Ted develop. The problem is–where do we end, then, if we are only going one season onward? The marriage between Ted and his wife, perhaps?

If the whole cast is not going to agree to go on, the show must end. We cannot have missing characters because we have seen be there for each other throughout the whole show. Let’s just hope we can pull at least one more strong season!

I think that season 8 should be the last season but however I thing there should at least be ONE LAST EPISODE after MEETING THE MOTHER.

This episode should include what happened after Ted meets future Mrs. Mosby. When they started dating, when they got married, when they had their kids, and it should end with Ted telling his kids, that he wants to tell a story to his kids about “How I Met Your Mother” and they sit down on the couch and he begins all the way from season 1, pilot episode and then it ends while Ted is talking.

Neah, it has to be the end. No offense – great show, however it has come to a logical end. There is no way they can stretch another season without revealing who is the mother, and when they do it finalizes the story “and that’s How I Met Your Mother”… and season 9 can’t be about dating because it’s about how he met her, not how he dated her. They could make a new show concentrating on Ted, but it’d be just like Joey Show. Not good.

It is now official that there’s going to be a season 9 and I’m really happy about it but I still feel like we need more. I want them to do the show until it’s 2030 and it could even be a world record, lol. Anyways, I just wanted to say that it breaks my heart. Dear Cobie, Neil, Josh, Jason, Alyson, Carter or Craig, if you’re reading this, please do lots of other seasons or I’ll make you a murderer! Damn, I mean.. this show is my whole life. I’ve been watching it ever since I was 13 and now I’m a young woman who still loves the show. Please don’t kill a masterpiece.

Every single time this show is on tv, whether it be a new episode or old, I am watching it. It is one of the best tv shows out there, and if I have to deal with these stupid shows like “Big bang theory” I will be mighty upset. I don’t care if some people think it will ruin the show, because I don’t think it will. There are plenty of more ideas and funny stories that can be added in the future. Also I think the actors/actresses are being kind of silly. This series gave them so many awesome memories, and other gigs that they should want to proceed further. Look at how many seasons the Simpsons have! Or when Futurama was cancelled, that was tragic but they made it through and finally came back to tv.. Anyways, they shouldn’t cancel it. It seems sad to just end it right when he meets the mother. I will be very mad!!

I love watching this show. Its funny and near bout always puts a smile on my face. That being said, it has got a little irrating not knowing and waiting to know who the mother is. Think about it the first show was in 2005 Thats 8 years. The kids wouldn’t sit there for 8 years hearing how there mother and father met. I would like for the show to go ahead and show ted meeting the mother and showing her fit into the group and then their story together and her actually having the kids and the hardship with children. I think that would be a great thing for the show.

I loved this show a lot I hope they make it like friends but more awesome, ted finally meets the mother and they live happy and the gang gets together for one more beer and after that they go their seprate ways and everyone crys and says there final Goodbye’s, every I sit in front of the t.v eats food and enjoying this show a lot makes me wish my life was a t.v sitcom.. I really hope they make it too season 10..

I LOVE this show to pieces but it really can’t go on after we meet the mother.
There’s clever ways that they can prolong their eventual getting together like ted might meet two people at the wedding from the band etc but how long will it last….up to Christmas maybe.
The moment we are certain of the mother it has to end.
Plus Lily and Marshall going to Rome for a year! Yes there’s skype/ phone calls etc but again how long.
They can make a brilliant ending in the next few episodes where everything ties up rather than do season 9 and lose steam half way through…

Didn’t read everyone’s comment but the problem with continuing beyond this year is the timeline established inside the story. In the Pilot, Ted start to tell his teenage kids the story about how he met their mother and he flashes back 25 years to when he was 27 years old. Now do the math. His daughter is the oldest and she looks like she’s about 15yrs old. Ted had to have dated her for a little while & then proposed, planned and weeding and gotten married. We’re talking approximately 2-3 years rushed. Putting it at 18yrs before the story starts. So you are already pushing the credibility of the story if you let it get so close that they met, married and had their first child within a year of meeting each other and that what would happen if you go to season 9. It has to end at season 8 based on how they are writting it. They could continue this for another season because all of us who have watched this show and love these characters would like to see Ted happy. That would kind of cap is as a feel good story. But I think if they are trying to keep this going longer, then they need to do a spin off series with Ted that has occational guest appearences from the other stars of the show. They could probably rock that for about 2 seasons. The only way it would go longer is if they develop new characters based on the people Ted’s wife has in her life, like her family or her friend (I would go her family) and get create really creative with that supporting cast, keeping it fresh and funny. Plus you still get the occational guest appearences of those characters from this show that we love. Not many shows have been successful in doing that Friends had a spinoff that tanked. Everybody Loves Raymond tried and failed. The only one I can remember of the top of my head was “The Cosby Show” and “It’s a Different World”. This is one of the few shows on TV that I think could really do a hit spin off series, if they took that route.

i like this show a lot but in one of the episode well i think its name is time travel or something like this we can see ted saying to his future wife that we are going to in 45 days and i think another season is not an option for the story.
But like everyone else i’m too gonna miss this awesome show if it ends.